Gunmen killed election campaign workers in Afghanistan

Two election campaign workers of a political party were shot dead Saturday evening in western Afghan province of Herat, sources said, Xinhua reported.

"The victims were working for Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the leader of National Coalition Party, election office in Herat city. They were leaving the office when two persons sitting in a car fired on them," a security source told Xinhua, the attackers fled the scene.

The official presidential election political campaign will start on Sunday.

No group claimed responsibility for the killing yet.

Fazl Rahman Orya, a member of the party, told local media that the killing was politically motivated.

Abdullah, the former foreign minister and the runner-up candidate in 2009 elections strongly condemned the attack.

On Jan.24, Mohammad Ismahil Khan, who stands as the vice president of presidential candidate Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf survived a suicide bombing in Herat city.

Afghanistan's third presidential and provincial council general election is slated for April 5 this year. Eleven candidates had registered their names to contest for the race.